Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-01-13
TIE FREIGHT PRosLEM.

the senate Committee on IF0nspofSS.io-1
Routes to the Seaboard-Ameriee ss .
Source of Cereal supply.
WASHINGTON, Jan: 4-Senator Aldrich
made public last night the repors OF the
Senate committee on transportation
routes to the seaboard on the subject OF
railroad frelghts in the United States and
foreign countries. The report contains
tabulated statements OF the progress In
production and transportation in the prln-
cipal countries of the world.
Efforts were made by the committee 70
group together the average yearly price
of grain at the various grain centers IN the
United States for series of years, and
show the difference in price per bushel at
graphical sections, which wouio
represent, in measure
the freight and the tendency OF the rates
of freight charges. 1t is shown Tor ex-
ample that the difference in the prices OF
corn between the Atlantic ports and the
lakes have steadily declined from Il cents
per bushel in 1873 to 10 cents per bushel IN
! 1888; between Atlantic ports and western
river ports from 10 cents in 1873 to IL cents
in 1883.
An attempt was made by the committee
to ascertain the rates Of freight from the
| principal intermediate points to the sea-
| board, and also from intermediate points
| to the principal cities of various states.
| The investigation was conducted in nope
of ascertaining facts in regard to the dit
| ference between the rates charged Tor
long haufs and short hauls and to throw
| light upon the vexed question of long
and a short haul. In relation to this In
! quiry the committee says II the returns
! from which the above summary is con-
| structed may be relied on (and the COM
| mittee has been careful TO select re-
| l.,s,, Goo Naaafl
| the rates for local freight are evidently
levied on a somewhat general principle OF
| what the traffic will bear.
In Massachusetts, when terminals are
| taken INTO consideration, the cost of trans
porting a bushel OF wheat is more nearly
| equitable than in any other State repre-
scented in the summary. Still, we ind the
| anomoly OF lesser rate for 81 miles than
for 10 miles. In Pennsylvania the local
rates are higher than in Massachusetts.
In Ohio the rate is about the same on 10
as on so miles. while the long
| haul OF 215 miles, instead OF being
| relatively less, is relatively greater.
In Massachusetts in 1888 it cost 46
cents to transport a bushel OF wheat 10
miles; the cost in Connecticut for trans
| porting the same 81 miles was cents; in
| Pennsylvan 60 miles, AZ cents, and in
] Ohio, 60 miles, cents. OF course the con-
|
Farther West we find in Kansas ~
cents per bushel for transporting a
| bushel of wheat 46 miles, and in Massa-
| chusetts for same service 36 miles. ~
cents. while California pays SO per bushel
| for 80 miles.
Turning from the United States to for
| eign countries the comm ittee show the
| production and consumption of cereals in
| Europe, and bring out the fact that the in
| -. A1ntf oil
much greater in great grain producing
countries than in the grain buying coun-
| tries. The United Kingdom appears to
| have purchased about two-thirdS of all
| the wheat in the United States exported
| during this period, and therefore special
attention has been given to England's sup
| ply of wheat. For this purpose table was
| prepared giving summary OF the wheat
| imported into the United Kingdom OF
| Great Britain and Ireland from various
| countries during from 1886 to 1912, inclu-
| sive, and the decades from 1872 to 1SS2,
| inclusive, showing the total importations
Of wheat and the proportions furnished
the United States, Russia, Germany,
| British North America. France, Denmark
| and all other countries. In commenting
| on this table the committee says: "a
! glance at this summary not only
| shows the rapidity of the agricultural
| growth of the United States and its i'm
portance as food-eXporting country, but
| also presents some of the economic
| changes that have occurred in Europe.
In the first period the United States sup
piled less than 1 per cent. OF wheat i'm
| ported into the United Kingdom, and in
| the last period it supplied nearly 81 per
| cent. From less tina. t,GGG, COO bushels il
increased by a series OF leaps and bounds
| to about 500, 600, 600 bushels. Excepting
the rapid growth Of imports Of wheat
from India, which does not appear
| in this table, India being elias sifed
under ''all other Countries there is
no instance in the economic history
| of growth so rapid. The imports from
Germany have decreased from the second
period, actually well relatively,
while, relatively, the percentage of de-
crease has been steadily sinking from So
to 80 per cent, next to "a and IS, and last
" to 6 per cent. The crystalization of the
German Empire, the rapid increase of
population, the change from an agricul-
tural condition to that of diversified in
| dustries all suggest themselves as rea-
sons for the decrease. In Germany
population is overtaking the food-produc-
ing capacity of the country
One of the most important features of
the report is the showing in tabular form
of prices of wheat for series of years, in
the principal countries of the world
These tables show that 1.-The average year
~ price of wheat is the lowest in India.
Ranging from SIS cents per bushel, at Cal
cutta, to Sl.02 at Bombay between 1873 and
1888. Russia comes next, the average for
the decade being $1.2S per bushel at War
saw; SLY per bushel at st. Peters
burg, and S1.15 per bushel at Odessa
Austria ranks third. the price
ranging from s1.1S per bushel at Buda
Pesth to Sl.29 at Vienna, and Sl36 per
bushel at Trieste. The average price of
wheat at Algiers was for the entire period
covered in the inquiry at SIPS per bushel;
at Smyrna, S129 per bushel, and at Beirut
S1.4. In the German empire the price
varies somewhat according to location